Burning the Spirit
by Zubachickqt4u
Summary: A take off of 13 Ghosts. Josh was normal. . . until is boss raised a ghost from hell and burned to death. Luckily, Josh didn't die, thanks to a stranger named Peyton. Now, he and Peyton must put the ghost back in hell. Please R&R!
1. Prologue

Burning the Spirit  
  
Prologue  
  
Cars were lined up in a row. Teenagers were crowded around them, checking them out. The owners mingled with the fans. Each car had a different design. The road was long and dusty. They were racing.  
  
Sloan Jackson leaned casually against his blue mustang, smiling at everyone who passed him by. Dark hair fell into his dark brown eyes. He had been the champ of these races for a good month, and he wasn't about to give up the title. As he watched people mingle, he didn't notice someone start working on his car behind him. He felt a soft hand touch his shoulder and turned around to see his girlfriend.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Sally Hugh," He said softly, taking her hand and giving it a soft kiss.  
  
She blushed and smiled. She was tall and slender, like a model. Long brown hair flowed in the gentle breeze. She looked at Sloan approvingly with green eyes. A man to the side of the road announced the races were about to begin. Sloan started to leave when Sally stopped him.  
  
"Why do you do this?" She asked, pleading him with her eyes to stay.  
  
He smiled to her and gave her a peck on the cheek, "I know it's dangerous, but I love it as much as I love you," He grabbed his helmet as he whispered in her ear, "And I love you so much." Giving her a quick kiss, he headed towards the drivers door.  
  
He pulled open the door and slid into the drivers seat. Car engines revved. His hand put the key in the ignition and turned it. The car purred loudly. Sloan's face got serious as he focused on the flag girl.  
  
30 seconds. . . 15 seconds. . .  
  
The girl waved the flag high, signaling the start of the race. Cars sped down the road. Sloan pumped the gas pedal. He was going, but something didn't feel right. Next, he tried pumping the brake. It felt like he wasn't pushing anything. Something didn't just feel wrong, something was wrong.  
  
Sloan looked around frantically. He needed something to help him. Finding nothing, Sloan cursed his luck. That's when he smelled it.  
  
It was gas leaking.  
  
Sloan's eyes went wide with fear. He quickly prayed for the safety of his family, friends, and love. In the last moment, he prayed for Sally to forgive him.  
  
The car went up in flames. Gasoline mixed with the fire. Sloan could only feel pain. Tears stung his eyes, despite the flames that burned his face. He knew he only had a few seconds left to live. I love you, Sally.  
  
The car exploded. Sally screamed. One of her friends held her back and she cried. Clutching her friend for support, she fell to the ground, completely crushed. The ambulance had arrived, minutes too late. Crying, Sally cursed everyone. It was everyone's fault. She had just lost the one she loved and everyone had played a part.  
  
Sally gasped for air. She couldn't breath because she was crying so hard. The only person that could stop her crying, was the person who made her cry. Everything was so confusing. She blamed herself, everyone around her, and Sloan. 


	2. Feels Like Suffocating

Feels Like Suffocating  
  
Nampa, Idaho  
  
The wind screamed, whipping dead leaves around wildly. Rain pounded against the earth, compacting it even more. Clouds moved in front of the full moon, obscuring it and causing the light to dim to a certain level of darkness. A flash of lightening lit up the sky, flashing across faces of people outside on that stormy night.   
  
The wind thrashed Josh Mackey's poncho around his body. His pant legs were soaked thoroughly with rain and his shoes squished with every step he took. His brown hair was slicked down, hiding his adolescent face, younger than his 25 years. In his hand was a flashlight, helping guide him through the dark night.  
  
On his hand there were two rings, one on his ring finger and the other on his pointer finger. The one on his ring finger was a plain gold band to show he was married. The ring on his pointer finger, however, was a different story. It had a strange sort of script on it. The script was beautifully scrawled across the surface of the ring, the deep curves of the script catching a faint glow in the dim light.   
  
Josh looked around with his blue eyes and moved swiftly towards a strange-looking man standing at the edge of a town, surrounded by blood scattered in a strange circle around him. The man had no protection from the rain, but had his arms outstretched, as if accepting it. His clothes were stuck to his body.   
  
"Don! Don! We have to get this working! I need my money! Not to mention that the blood is starting to wash away and we don't have any left and I don't think anyone wants to give any!" Josh called to the man, moving forward towards the man.  
  
The man lowered his arms, shaking. He turned around, eyes still closed. A vein that was going diagonal across his forehead was showing clearly as if he had been concentrating hard. He had long gray hair that was stuck in clumps from the wet rain. Suddenly, his eyes shot open. His eyes were not what you would expect anyone's to be. They were all blood red, except the pupil. He looked straight into Josh's eyes, shaking with rage.  
  
"I'm Donovan, not Don," he growled in a low voice, "You'll get your money, just give me a little more time. Then you'll get all the cash you want. Just as soon as I get what I want."  
  
Josh backed up when he saw the eyes open. He had been working for Donovan for a while, but he still couldn't get over his eyes. The man's glare was beginning to scare him. Josh swallowed the fear he had of Donovan and tried to find his voice.  
  
"S-s-sorry, I d-didn't mean it l-like t-that," Josh turned around, took a deep breath, and continued the operation.  
  
He was directing people when he saw the bright headlights from a car pass over the ground. The beam passed over people and ground until they turned straight and stopped. It was a black SUV. The wheels smoked from driving so fast across the concrete.  
  
Josh sighed, for he knew it would be someone who came trying to stop this. Don't they ever stop and realize how determined Don is? Josh smirked, happy that he had been able to criticize Donovan without him ever finding out.   
  
Josh moved towards the SUV and signaled to it to stop. As he came up beside the drivers window, the window rolled down. Inside was a girl about 20 years old. She had curly blond hair and blue eyes. Josh smiled charmingly. How much of a hazard could she be?  
  
The girl frowned, "I'm not a pushover," she growled.  
  
Josh was taken aback, and the surprise of it showed on his face, "But how did you. . .?"  
  
The girl shrugged and sighed, "Don't ask."  
  
"So, why are you here and who are you?" Josh asked.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to stop this screw up before it happens. Now let me through so that I can go stop Donovan before he releases a ghost from the dark gates of hell."  
  
Josh looked at her, even more surprised with his mouth gaping. She made a motion to push his bottom jaw up to meet his top jaw, "Speak!"  
  
Josh regained his voice and said as bravely as possible, "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to do that."  
  
"Excuse me, do you want to face a demon from hell? I don't think so," The girl climbed out of the SUV and started walking towards Donovan. Josh grabbed her by the arm and turned her around. She immediately lost her strength. Her knees gave out, and she fell to the ground, groaning in agony and gripping her head.  
  
Josh let go, wondering what was happening. The girl rolled over on the ground, face up. She looked at Josh with sadness in her eyes. Without saying a word, she got off the ground and, shaking uncontrollably, she got into the SUV.  
  
"Are you okay?" Josh asked, wondering what had just happened.  
  
The girl looked him in the eye, "I'm sorry."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"You're wife. It must have been so horrible when she passed away."  
  
Josh looked at her, amazed. His wife had died in a car crash, and it had changed his whole life terribly. He was so upset he locked himself in his house for weeks.  
  
"I'll ask you again, who are you?" Josh asked, anguish evident in his voice, wondering how she knew everything she did.  
  
"My name is Peyton Murray," she said, watching Donovan.  
  
Josh turned and looked at Donovan. Suddenly, blood curdling screams filled the air. Donovan began shaking again. Josh watched closely, even though he had seen this happen many times before and he knew exactly what was going to happen next.  
  
"You're lucky I'm going to be there to save your ass and fix this screw up!" Peyton said defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
Josh looked at her and, for the first time, believed her. Peyton closed her eyes for a minute, then opened them again, her eyes wide with fright.   
  
"Josh, take off the ring on your pointer finger," She looked at him, then screamed, "Take it off now!!!"   
  
Josh simply stared at her. Peyton snapped in his face and screamed, "TAKE IT OFF NOW!!!" Josh looked down at his ring and quickly took it off and threw it away from the SUV.   
  
The ground around Donovan lit up. He lifted his head towards the heavens.   
  
"Oh God, it's going to happen! I didn't think he would be enough of a conceited jerk to make it happen! Josh, get in the car!" Peyton yelled as Josh went around the other side of the car and climbed in the passengers door, "If you get queasy, I strongly suggest you close your eyes. This is going to get ugly."  
  
The screams became louder and louder. Josh looked over at Peyton. She seemed keenly interested in what was happening. He suddenly realized something.  
  
"How the hell did you know my name?"  
  
Peyton took a quick glance at him before returning her gaze to the scene in front of them, "Don't ask. Like I said, close your eyes. This is going to get ugly. And don't try to be a hero."  
  
Josh grabbed her by the arm. She took a deep breath and started breathing rapidly. Peyton became weak again.  
  
"Don't. . . touch me," Peyton gasped, pushing Josh's hand away from her. As soon as the contact between them stopped, she regained her composure. Peyton shot a look at Josh, then moved closer to the car door, leaning up against it.   
  
Lightening came faster, rolling thunder following. The rain pounded even harder, making mud with the loose soil. The circle around Donovan glowed even more brightly, hurting the eyes of anyone who looked. The hair on both Peyton and Josh's neck rose from the static electricity in the air. The lightening slowly stopped.  
  
Suddenly, a bolt of lightening flashed in the sky and time seemed to stand still. The ground was shining brightly. Peyton was as far as she could get from Josh without getting out of the car. All eyes were on Donovan.  
  
The moment in time passed and all the flashlights and lights around them flickered and went out. Peyton and Josh looked around, then behind the car. A scream filled the air, terrifying everyone who heard it. Josh and Peyton whirled around to witness the horrific scene before them.  
  
Donovan was the one who was screaming. He had spontaneously combusted. The smell of burning skin filled the air, making everyone sick. Josh felt the taste of vomit coming up from his throat. He swallowed the taste as best as he could and looked away.   
  
The pouring rain seemed to have no effect on Donovan, who was still engulfed in flames. The skin on him had begun to melt away. He fell to his knees, his screams still filling the air. He finally gave up, muscles relaxing. And so he lay, face down on the ground, dead.  
  
Peyton had watched the whole scene, tears stinging her eyes. However, she wouldn't let one tear shed for Donovan. He had just released a ghost from hell upon humanity, and innocent people were now going to have to suffer for his mistake. 


	3. Confessions

Confessions  
  
Outside of Manti, Utah  
  
Peyton looked around, then back down at the map. They were in the middle of Utah, with 3 ways to go. She was wearing dark blue jeans that fit her well and a lime "New York" shirt. She looked back up, then over at Josh. He was still asleep, his brown hair falling into his eyes. He was wearing the typical man clothes: Jeans and a t-shirt that read "Anudder brilyunt mind distroid by education."  
  
She sighed, then chose to go right. There were heading towards the edge of Emery county, towards Colorado. She had done some research on the ghost that Thomas had released from hell and found out that it had previously been living in Colorado. They thought that's where it would head, so, that had to follow it in order to send it back.  
  
So far the trip had been boring. Josh hadn't been much company, seeing as how he just witnessed the death of the person he had been working with, and he realized that could have been him. Plus he was pissed that he didn't get the money he needed. I would have been too. But, of course, we live two different lives, thought Peyton.  
  
Peyton lived in a run down apartment building. In the main room, she kept a bucket off in a corner, that kept the water that was falling from the roof. After she had rented the apartment she found out a pipe had burst above so water was constantly dripping from the ceiling. For the first week she couldn't get to sleep because the water was so annoying. Over time, she got used to it.  
  
Peyton had practically nothing in her apartment. That's because very few objects had nothing bad connected to them from a person. She had a mattress, not a bed, some food in a tiny fridge, a couch, a dresser, and clothes. She also couldn't usually get a job because of her different nature. Peyton had spent her life savings on the SUV because it was her only freedom.  
  
Peyton heard a moan from beside her and looked to see Josh waking up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.  
  
"Keep your eyes on the road," Josh grumbled, seeing her look at him, obviously mad.  
  
Peyton watched the road, then replied, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Let's start with the obvious. One: I'm now poor," Peyton almost smacked him at that, but just clenched her teeth and let him continue, "Two: I just witnessed a man being burned to death. Three: I'm chasing after a ghost from hell. Four: I'm in a car with a know-it-all, but won't tell me how she knows it all."  
  
Peyton looked over at Josh, who was slumped in his seat. His arms were crossed over his chest. He stared forward, his jaw muscles were clenched. Peyton smiled, Well, isn't that ironic. He looks cute when he's angry. Josh looked at her out of the corner of his eye and she immediately went back to watching the road.   
  
Peyton messed with the dial on the radio, trying to find a song she knew. The radio crackled, only getting static. She had CD's in the car, but she couldn't multi-task and get them. She sighed, knowing the only choice she had wouldn't be easy.  
  
"Hey, Josh, you want to do me a favor?"  
  
Josh shot her a look, "What?"  
  
"Will you grab the CD's I have in my door and pop one in?"  
  
Josh apparently didn't like the silence either. He started to reach across Peyton's lap. She pulled back from his arm, not wanting to be touched in case she got another vision of his past. He grabbed the CD case and opened it. Looking through the selection, he decided on something and popped it into the CD player.  
  
Matchbox 20 blasted through the stereo.  
  
"You don't seem like the Matchbox 20 type," Peyton stated.  
  
"Neither do you," Josh replied.  
  
Peyton shrugged as she listened closely to the lyrics of "Push."   
  
She said  
  
I don't know if   
  
I've ever been good enough  
  
I'm a little bit rusty  
  
And I think my head  
  
Is caving in  
  
And I don't know  
  
If I've ever been really loved  
  
By a hand that's touched me  
  
And I feel like something's  
  
Going to give  
  
And I'm a little bit angry  
  
Peyton searched for some sign of life, but found none. A tumble weed rolled across the ground and she almost laughed. Canyons rose in the distance. Above them black thunder heads threatened to open up.  
  
Well, this ain't over  
  
No, not here  
  
Know what?  
  
I still need you around  
  
You don't owe me  
  
We might change it  
  
Yeah, we just might feel good  
  
Peyton looked over at Josh and found him mouthing the words. She smiled, then thought of how horrible his life must be right now. His wife died, he just witnessed a man burned to death. . . He must understand this music.  
  
I wanna push you around  
  
Well I will  
  
Well I will  
  
I wanna push you down  
  
Well I will  
  
Well I will  
  
I wanna take you for granted  
  
I wanna take you for granted  
  
Yeah, yeah  
  
Well I will  
  
Peyton began to sing softly along with the words. She couldn't help it, she always did that and it was not a good thing. She saw Josh look at her out of the corner of her eye and she continued to watch the road.  
  
She said  
  
I don't know  
  
Why you ever would  
  
Lie to me  
  
Like I'm a little untrusting  
  
When I think that  
  
The truth is gonna hurt ya  
  
And I don't know  
  
Why you couldn't  
  
Just stay with me  
  
You couldn't stand  
  
To be near me  
  
When my face  
  
Don't seem to wanna shine  
  
'Cause it's a little bit dirty  
  
Peyton watched the clouds open up and let rain sprinkle down. She turned on her window washers, knowing it would only get worse.   
  
Well, don't just stand there  
  
Say nice things to me  
  
'Cause I've been cheated  
  
I've been wronged  
  
You, you don't owe me  
  
Yeah well I can't change  
  
I won't do anything at all  
  
Peyton heard a curious sound coming from the seat next to her and looked over to see Josh singing the words softly. The rain was now pounding against the windshield. She smiled, and her singing got louder, more confident. Amazingly, as Peyton's singing got louder, so did Josh's.  
  
I wanna push you around  
  
Well I will  
  
Well I will  
  
I wanna push you down  
  
Well I will  
  
Well I will  
  
I wanna take you for granted  
  
I wanna take you for granted  
  
Yeah, yeah  
  
Well I will  
  
Oh a dom bomb me over  
  
Just wait a minute  
  
Apart things get so crazy  
  
Crazy  
  
Don't rush this baby  
  
Don't rush this baby  
  
Baby  
  
Soon Peyton and Josh were singing confidently to the music, enjoying themselves and smiling.  
  
I wanna push you around  
  
Well I will  
  
Well I will  
  
I wanna push you down  
  
Well I will  
  
Well I will  
  
I wanna take you for granted  
  
I wanna take you for granted  
  
Yeah, yeah  
  
Well I will  
  
I will, I will   
  
I will, I will  
  
I will, I will  
  
Push you around  
  
I wanna push you around. . .  
  
Peyton looked over at Josh, smiling. She found Josh looking intently at her.  
  
"How do you know everything?" He asked.  
  
Peyton sighed. She knew this was coming.  
  
"I'm psychic," She simply stated. When she saw his blank stare she got the idea, "Ok, let's begin this story. Ever since I was a kid I've had this gift where if I touch a person or an object, I can see all the horrible things they've gone through. It's a new level of empathy. But, it's never easy. Like, for instance, I can't get close to anyone, mentally or physically. I can't love someone, because it's too painful to touch them. Sometimes it's more of a curse than a gift." Although there is one person I have gotten close to, Peyton thought.   
  
Peyton felt her eyes fill with tears that threatened to spill over. Her lower lip quivered as she continued.  
  
"The worst was my first kiss. . . It had been with Ryan Johnson. I was fourteen years old. It wasn't pure bliss like it was supposed to have been. It was pure terror. When his lips touched mine, I saw his worst memory. He had witnessed his mother being murdered," Peyton stopped, taking a deep breath to calm herself as tears slid silently down her cheeks, "I felt his horror, his anguish. She had been stabbed five times, and he witnessed ever single one. Afterwards, the murderer just her left to die.  
  
"I pulled back from the kiss, screaming in terror as I cried. Ryan never talked to me after that. From that point on I was labeled a freak. I never dated anyone after that. I was too afraid to get close to them. . ."  
  
Peyton's knuckles had gone white from clutching the steering wheel so hard. She brought her right hand up and wiped away the tears, taking another deep breath. She glanced over at Josh, who was giving her a look of pity.  
  
"Don't. I don't feel sorry for myself, why should you? Life is hard; it's supposed to be that way."  
  
Josh looked out to the road in front of them, window washers pushing away the water that obscured his view.  
  
"She was pregnant," He whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"My wife was pregnant when she died."  
  
"I'm so sorry."  
  
Josh continued to stare at the road as he continued, "I was reading when I got the call. We had just found out she was pregnant. She smiled so beautifully. She had to run to the grocery store to get some food, and I suggested I do it instead. She laughed, insisting she wasn't that immobile yet.  
  
"So, I sat down and read a book, waiting for her to come home. That's when they called. They asked if I was Josh Mackey, and I answered yes. She had been hit and was in critical condition. I rushed over there as soon as I could," His lower lip trembled, "I loved her. Not only did she lose her life that night, but so did the baby. . ."  
  
Peyton felt saddened as the SUV traveled over the concrete towards Colorado.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about me. After all, you know what they say," Josh said.  
  
"What do they say?" Peyton asked.  
  
"It's better to have loved and lost then never to have-" Josh stopped, realizing what the rest of the saying was. He clamped his hand over his mouth and gave Peyton a pleading look, asking for forgiveness. However, she didn't catch his look, for she was watching the road. Her eyes were hard, obviously hurt.  
  
Guilt crept over Josh and he opened his mouth to ask for forgiveness when he was cut off.  
  
"So, we're both going after a ghost that might kill us because we think we have nothing left for us," She said solemnly. Josh looked at her, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I. . . I guess," He replied.  
  
Peyton looked at him, "I'm sorry about your wife. I hope you find someone else."  
  
Their eyes locked for a moment, then Peyton went back to paying attention to the road. Josh felt even worse. He studied the land outside his window, finding nothing but rain, mud, clouds, and canyons. They still had a while to go. After a while Peyton noticed a sign on the side of the road. It said "Deer Xing: Next 10 miles."  
  
"Dammit! How am I supposed to be watching for deer in this weather?!" She slammed her hands against the steering wheel in her anger, "It's going to be a long ten miles, I'll tell you that much!"  
  
"Do you want me to drive?" Josh asked, watching her intently.  
  
She looked at him wearily. How bad could it be? Besides, I could get some sleep. . .  
  
"If you crash this car, I'm suing your ass until you have no money left!" Peyton threatened, opening her door and getting out. Josh hopped into the drivers seat as Peyton opened the passengers door and climbed in.  
  
She was already soaked and had only been out in the rain a minute. Her curly blond hair was now soaked and straight. Her clothes were partly wet, slightly clinging to her. Peyton shivered, teeth chattering. She reached into the back and grabbed the wool blanket she kept back there.  
  
Josh looked over to her and smiled smugly, "I'm bone dry."  
  
Peyton shot him a look, then leaned over and wrung her hair out in his lap. He yelped from feel of the cold rain. Peyton smiled smugly back.  
  
"Now you're not."  
  
Josh mumbled something about how she should be thanking him and started the car. Peyton rolled her eyes and settled down for the ride to Colorado.  
  
The rain was pouring down, hitting the roof of the SUV with a comforting sound. All life had gone to their home, hoping not to drown.   
  
Pitter patter.  
  
Peyton felt her eyelids getting heavier. The SUV traveled smoothly across the ground, causing Peyton to fall asleep fast. 


	4. Seeing Things

Seeing Things  
  
They were in an old house. Wood floors creaked with every step Peyton and Josh took. Most of the windows were shattered. Shards of broken glass laid around the windows. Light blue paint was peeling off the wall, exposing wood.   
  
Josh accidentally stepped on a shard of broken glass, causing it to make a loud crack. Jumping, Peyton cringed. She shot a look at Josh.  
  
"Can you make anymore noise?" She whispered to him.  
  
"I don't know; do you want me to try?" Josh replied. Peyton rolled her eyes and he stuck his tongue out at her.  
  
"Jerk," Peyton whispered to him.  
  
"Loser," He replied.  
  
"Ass!"  
  
"Bitch!"  
  
They stepped through the worn down house cautiously. Then the stepped into a curious room.  
  
It was a bedroom. There was a sleigh bed in the corner, and it had gold and silver silk sheets. An old oak dresser was against a wall. It was elegantly carved. Smiling, Peyton headed for the bed. Josh grabbed her hand. On impulse, she pulled away and he looked apologetically at her.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.  
  
"What? Just because we're trying to send a ghost back to hell, doesn't mean I can't be in comfort in the meanwhile," Peyton replied, eyeing the bed and noticing how comfortable it looked.  
  
Josh rolled his eyes and stood back as Peyton walked towards the bed. Brushing her hand over the sheets, she felt nothing bad coming from it. Smiling smugly to herself, she laid down on it and sighed. She sunk in it a little ways.  
  
"I'm going to go see if there are any other rooms in this house," Josh stated, walking out the door. Peyton waved bye, resting her eyes a little bit. All of the sudden, the room felt cold and still. Shivering, Peyton sighed.  
  
"Josh, if you find a heater, turn it on for me, okay?" She called out. Hearing nothing, Peyton opened her eyes, "Josh?" She sat up and found herself face to face with a ghost.  
  
Burns were all over his left side. He looked like a character in Grease. His hair was dark and fell sloppily into his eyes. He seemed handsome, or at least he would be if he didn't have the burns on his left side.   
  
Peyton quickly took a breath. The bad memories coming from the ghost made her head hurt. She held her head, still looking at him. He doesn't look that bad. She couldn't think of anything to say. Her mouth opened and closed with no words coming out. The ghost moved towards her and she moved away from it.   
  
Quickly getting off the bed, Peyton looked around for something. It's so cold. The ghost began to come after her. He looked mad. Really mad. Peyton slowly moved towards the door. Seeing what she was doing, the ghost moved in front of the door and blocked it.  
  
He advanced on her. Peyton tried to get away, but he grabbed her hard around the throat. Realization struck her. He can move solid objects! Slowly and painfully, he lifted Peyton up. Her toes were one inch off the ground when he stopped.   
  
Lungs getting no air, Peyton tried to fight her way out of his grip. He held onto her throat tight. Remembering the rule, Peyton struggled even more. Three weeks without food, three days without water, three minutes without air. Her hands gripped his dead, cold hands tightly, trying to pulled them off her throat.  
  
Peyton's mind was beginning to get fuzzy. She could feel her hands and toes grow cold. Must stay awake. . . Must stay. . . Her mouth opened, trying to let oxygen through. Pulse weak, Peyton tried to claw her way out of his grip. Her head started to droop, eyes closing. Prayers to all who had ever been hurt went through her mind. The ghost seemed smug about killing her. She hoped that the ghost wouldn't hurt anyone else. Tears came to Peyton's eyes. She hoped Josh. . . 


	5. Damn Jealousy

Damn Jealousy  
  
Peyton came awake with a start, tears leaking out of her eyes. The car was on the side of the road. Josh was looking at her with concerned eyes. She felt her neck stinging. Flipping the mirror down, she saw claw marks all over her throat. Blood was slowly leaking out of a few, while the others were bright red. She buried her face in her hands, thinking about how she was going to die.  
  
"Peyton, what's wrong?" Josh's voice penetrated her thoughts. She looked up at him, her face stained with tears.   
  
"I'm. . . I. . . I saw my own. . . Death," Peyton's lower lip quivered, "I'm going to die by the ghost. He's going to. . ."  
  
Josh looked at her clawed throat and nodded understandingly. Rain was still pounding against the windshield. Looking around, Peyton spotted a deer gracefully leap across the road. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.   
  
"It's ok, Peyton. It was just a dream. There is a possibility it isn't going to happen."  
  
Dazed and amazed, Peyton looked at Josh, "It was a vision. I know it. I know how I'm going to die. I could feel being short of breath. It's not just a dream. I'm going to get murdered."  
  
"Have you ever tried to stop a vision from coming true?" Josh asked.  
  
Peyton shook her head, "No, I always figured it was destiny. Everyone knows destiny shouldn't be screwed with. I never even tried."  
  
"Then we can fight this. We'll try to protect you," Josh sounded soothing. Calming down, Peyton looked at him hopefully. Maybe. . .   
  
Josh turned the car back on and started driving again. Time passed by and Peyton watched out the window. Suddenly, the car swerved. It was going out of control when Josh slammed on the brakes. Peyton's head whipped forward and hit the dashboard.  
  
"Dammit, Josh! What happened!?" Peyton yelled, grabbing her head and rubbing it. She look over at Josh who was breathing fast. He looked guiltily at Peyton, "What?"  
  
"I almost hit a deer," Josh admitted.  
  
"You what!" Peyton screamed. Josh covered his ears.  
  
"It's ok, everything's ok."  
  
Peyton exploded, "YOU SAID YOU'D DRIVE! YOU SAID IT WOULD ALL BE OKAY!!! YOU ALMOST WRECKED MY CAR BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPIDITY!!! GET OUT! I'M DRIVING!!!"  
  
Josh scrambled to open the door. Falling out of the SUV onto the wet ground, Josh struggled to get back up before Peyton drove away without him. Running over to the passenger's door, he opened it, climbing in. As soon Josh got in, Peyton floored it. Quickly buckling his seatbelt, Josh adjusted himself so that he wouldn't get to badly hurt when the airbags popped out. Josh was about to tell Peyton to slow down when she shot a look at him. Clamping his mouth shut, Josh focused on the road in front of him. Peyton was driving at about 80 mph.  
  
They had been driving like that for about an hour. The rain had stopped, but the ground was still wet. Josh occasionally checked the meter that told the mph. It usually stay around 85 mph. Suddenly, the car started slowing down. Looking over, Josh found that they had. He smiled smugly at Peyton.  
  
"Happy now?" He asked.  
  
Peyton shot him a look, "Do you want me to kick your ass now?" She asked, getting out of the car. Seeing her get out of the car, Josh got out of the car too.  
  
"What are you doing?" Josh asked.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing? I saw a gas station a half a mile back, so I'm going to get some gas," Peyton replied coolly, getting a gas canister out of the back of the car.  
  
"Wait, I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere alone!" Josh called out as Peyton walked away.  
  
"Then come with me," Peyton called over her shoulder, still walking away. Grumpily, Josh followed her.  
  
They hadn't seen any life since they started walking. Occasionally, they saw a hole in the ground that might have been occupied by an animal. Sometimes, Josh let out a grumble and Peyton would roll her eyes.  
  
Suddenly, they saw a car coming towards them. It looked like a blue mustang. As it passed them, they saw a man. His face was burned. Dark hair fell into his dark eyes. Searing pain flashed across Peyton's mind. She collapsed, holding her head and groaning.  
  
"Peyton! Are you okay?" Josh asked, crouching next to her on the ground, "What was that?"  
  
"I. . . I'm not sure," Peyton replied as she looked back up to see the car. However, it was gone. Her mouth dropped open, "What happened to the car?"  
  
"What?" Josh turned around and saw there was nothing there, "Where did it go?"  
  
Shaking, Peyton got up and started towards the gas station, "The sooner we get out of here, the better."  
  
The gas station was in pretty good shape, considering how far from civilization it was. It was called the "Stop and Go." Outside there were four stations where you could fill up your car. Inside was a selection of snacks and drinks. Peyton went over to one of the station to fill up your car with the gas canister while Josh went inside.   
  
Looking around, Josh went towards the snack section. After looking every item over carefully, he picked out a few snacks, some candy, and a canister of Pringles. He walked to the counter, pulling out his wallet. Peyton walked in, struggling with the gas. Smiling, Josh went over and easily picked up the canister.   
  
"You're so weak," Josh teased.   
  
Peyton gave him a look and headed over to look at snacks. There she found a man about a year older than her. He was pretty well built and about four inches taller than her. His blond hair was falling into his eyes and he distractedly brushed it away. She caught a glance of his soft, green eyes,  
  
"Oh my God! Scott?" Peyton asked, mouth open.  
  
The man turned around and looked at Peyton. His mouth fell wide open.  
  
"Peyton?" He asked, unbelieving.  
  
"Yes!" Peyton ran up to him and jumped into his arms, then leaned back to look at him, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here researching some supernatural happens," Scott replied, smiling, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Peyton started telling him the whole story. Hearing some talking, Josh headed over to the snack section. Upon seeing Peyton hugging someone, Josh felt a wave of jealousy wash over him. Frowning, Josh moved towards the couple.  
  
"Uh, Peyton? What's going on?" Josh asked, wondering why she wasn't in pain, seeing all of this guys past.  
  
Turning around, Peyton smiled, "Josh, there's someone I want you to meet. This is my best friend, Scott."  
  
Scott smiled and extended his hand. Josh took it, squeezing it hard. However, Scott didn't seem fazed and he squeezed back, hurting Josh's hand. Josh pulled his hand back and cradled it. Peyton smiled at Scott adoringly. Does she mean best friend as in boyfriend? Josh thought, jealously flooding over him.  
  
"Peyton, can we talk?" Josh asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Peyton replied, following him.  
  
"What's going on? How come you didn't get a flashback of him?" Josh asked when they were somewhere private.  
  
"I'm too used to Scott. We've been good friends since, like, freshman year," Peyton replied coolly, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"What happened to 'I can't get close to anyone mentally or physically because it's too painful?'" Josh asked, doing quotations marks with his fingers.  
  
"I seemed to get close to Scott. Do you have a problem with it? 'Cause if you do, screw you!" Peyton replied coldly, brushing past Josh and heading towards Scott, "Oh, and by the way, Scott wants to help us out, so he's coming with us."  
  
Josh felt jealousy flood over him again, along with regret. He walked briskly over to the counter, grabbed his snacks and the gas, and walked out the door of the gas station towards the SUV. Behind him, he heard Peyton and Scott walk out, laughing. Turning around, he saw Scott had his arm around Peyton's waist. She looked so comfortable with it. It looked as if she was used to it. Almost as if it was comforting to her.  
  
Sighing, Josh called out to Peyton, "Give me the keys. I'm going to go fill up the car and then I'll wait in the car for you guys."  
  
Peyton rolled her eyes. Scott whispered something in her ear and they both burst out laughing. Oh no you didn't! Josh thought, growing red with jealousy. She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out the keys. She tossed them to Josh. Upon catching them, Josh turned around and started jogging to the car, not wanting to see Scott whisper another sweet nothing into Peyton's ear.  
  
Eventually, Josh got to the car. Dropping the bag of snacks on the ground, he felt like kicking them. He opened the tank and poured in the gas. After he was done, he slammed the tank close, picked up the bag and got in the car. Turning on the car, he tuned the radio until he found some music. A woman's sad voice was heard clearly through the radio. It was a song he hadn't heard before.  
  
Too strange to be strangers  
  
Too far gone to be friends  
  
Too lovesick to be lovers  
  
Only one way this could end  
  
Josh wasn't really paying attention to the words until he heard the part "Yeah I'll stick around to crash and burn with you." Once he heard the he stopped and listened for more lyrics, but they didn't come. Then he listened for the people on the radio to say the artist, or song name. However, once the song ended, he only heard the radio crackle.  
  
Damn song! Damn singer! Damn Peyton! Josh thought, quickly switching the station. Turning the dial, the radio only crackled. That's. . . interesting.  
  
Thoughts clouded Josh's mind. He was so preoccupied, he didn't even notice Peyton and Scott had reached the SUV. Peyton walked next to the drivers seat and watched Josh deal with his thoughts.  
  
"Uh, Josh?" Peyton asked tentatively. Josh jumped, looking over at Peyton.  
  
"What?" Josh asked, still a little shaken up.  
  
"I'm driving. And Scott is going to sit in the passenger's seat. So. . . Get in the back," Peyton told him. Her eyes had rolled around to emphasize the "so," and then she just let Josh have it.  
  
Josh's mouth dropped open, "You've got to be kidding me! I'm not sitting in the back! I was here first, Scott can sit in the back!" Josh jumped into the passenger's seat and sat, arms folded across his chest, extremely determined. He clenched his jaw muscles to show how determined he was.  
  
Josh snuck a glance at Peyton and saw her doing something odd. Is she. . . Is she begging? Josh asked himself. She had her hands folded at the side of her hip. Giving him a pleading look, she stuck her bottom lip out, quivering it.  
  
"Please?" She asked, still begging.  
  
Grumpily, Josh climbed into the back and laid down, bringing the wool blanket with him. Smiling, Peyton let out a small "Yay!" She opened the drivers door and climbed in. On the other side, Scott climbed in. They continued whatever they were chatting about while Josh stared at the roof of the SUV, jaw muscles still clenching. Music started playing. It was Matchbox 20.  
  
"Oh my God! You've always known what I love!" Peyton screamed, leaning over and giving Scott a quick peck on the cheek.  
  
Josh hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Deciding he didn't want to be conscious to hear or see them, he closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep and peace. Not to mention a break from the real world. 


	6. Crash and Burn

Crash and Burn  
  
Peyton looked over and saw that Scott was asleep. They had done some major catching up and best friend bonding. Somehow, she still wanted company, even though she and Scott had been talking for three hours. Sneaking a quick peak in the back, she found Josh awake.  
  
There were now near the border of Colorado. Passing cars became more usual now. She had seen five road kill. All were gross, even though she had seen worse. Plants were more usual now.  
  
As a game when Scott fell asleep, Peyton had tried to identify different types of plants. That's when she realized how much she really didn't know about them. Then, to pass the time, she counted how many white cars there were. Again, that didn't last very long. Now she was bored, with no games to play. What she needed was company. She looked back at Josh and then decided to talk to him.  
  
"Josh?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah?" Came the reply.  
  
"Do you want to. . . Talk about something?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
There really was nothing to talk about. As hard as Peyton thought, they really had nothing to talk about. She was about to say something when Josh cut her off.  
  
"When and where are we dropping off Scott?" Josh asked. It sounded a little cold to Peyton.  
  
"I don't know. Wherever he needs to be dropped off to finish his work. Why?"  
  
"Oh, you know, just wondering so that we can finish this whole 'ghost from hell' thing and continue with our lives," Josh mumbled.  
  
Peyton's mouth dropped open, surprised. That was. . . Uncalled for.   
  
"What? Do you want my to just throw my best friend out on the streets to fend for himself?" Peyton asked angrily.  
  
"Now there's an idea," Josh replied, sitting up and leaning next to Peyton. Seeing her look, he continued, "Ok, never mind. Just joking. It's just that this is all. . . Really surprising. I mean, first, you tell me you can't get to close to anyone mentally or physically. Now I find out you have a best friend. Not to mention the whole chasing a ghost thing is a little creepy."  
  
"Ok, now we know how you feel. Let's hear how Peyton feels now, eh?" Peyton said, watching the road, "First, so what if I have one friend in the world? What, am I supposed to walk the earth alone? I will admit that chasing after a ghost is creepy, but seeing everything horrible someone went through just because you touched them or something of theirs, kind of takes the cake in that category. Furthermore, before Scott came, I was traveling in a car with a complete stranger!"  
  
Josh fell back onto his seat, laying down again, "I'm not a stranger. We have talked to each other a lot. I believe that I am not a stranger anymore, since we know important things from each others lives."  
  
"Admit it! If I wasn't psychic, we would be strangers. Either that, or you would be six feet deep right now!" Peyton replied.  
  
"What do you mean, 'six feet deep?'" Josh asked, sitting up and leaning next to Peyton again.   
  
Realizing what she said, Peyton covered her mouth, keeping on hand on the steering wheel.  
  
"Nope, sorry, you can't get out of this that easily. Tell me why I'm supposed to be dead right now," Josh demanded.  
  
"Well. . . You know that ring you had, the one with the Latin protection spell on it? That would be why you were supposed to be six feet deep right now. See, that is how the ghost knows you were a part of the people who raised it. The protection spell doesn't work on it. It could've killed you if it had found out you helped raise it. That's why Donovan died, too."  
  
"Then why are we running from/chasing this ghost?"  
  
"That ring had your scent on it. It may have taken the ghost a little bit, but now he knows who you are and now, he wants you dead."  
  
Josh just sat there, mouth gaping. Peyton couldn't blame him. She just let him sit there and think about it. Eventually, she looked over at him. It looked as though he was frozen. Sighing, Peyton snapped in his face. Josh jumped. He buried his face in his hands.  
  
"Ok, I'm going to re-think my life. As I do, I'm going to eat some candy. Please, continue driving," Josh said, finally. He began rummaging through his bag, muttering some brand names aloud, "Blow-Pop. . . Sally Snoockums. . . I guess I'll have some Pringles.  
  
Josh laid back down, munching on the chips. Deciding she didn't want to fall back into silence, Peyton tried the radio again. She had only heard crackling when a song rang out clear.  
  
Too strange to be strangers  
  
Sputtering, Josh shot straight up. He leaned as close as he could to the radio and listen intently to the words.  
  
Too far gone to be friends  
  
Too lovesick to be lovers  
  
Only one way this could end  
  
Sighing, Peyton went to change the radio. Josh quickly motioned not to, and put his finger up to his lips. Peyton shot Josh a quizzical look, asking him why silently. He only put his finger up to his lips again.  
  
Yeah I'll stick around  
  
To crash and burn with you  
  
The song ended, and once again crackling could only be heard through the radio. Peyton turned it off. She looked at Josh.  
  
"Ok. . . My turn to ask questions. What the hell was that?!" Peyton whispered in Josh's ear.  
  
Josh seemed content. He looked almost falling asleep. His eyes looked glazed over. It didn't make sense. Before, Josh was fine, then Peyton whispered something in his ear and now he was all dopey.  
  
Quoting Josh, Peyton said, "Nope, sorry, you can't get out of this that easily."  
  
Josh seemed to wake up. He looked at Peyton, then back at the radio. Sighing, Josh spoke, "Well, before you and Scott came to the car, I was listening to the radio and I heard that song. Then, at the song was done, all I heard was static. Just like what happened just now. Didn't the woman's voice sound. . . Sad?"  
  
A snort came form the passenger's seat. Peyton and Josh both looked at Scott, who was still sleeping intently. His blond hair fell sloppily into his closed eyes, and while he breathed some of his hair would twirl.   
  
"What's his story again?" Josh asked, pointing at him.  
  
"My best friend?" Peyton offered, watching him.  
  
"Right. . ."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Peyton went back to watching the road.  
  
"Well, it's just that you're all. . . Snuggly around each other."  
  
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Peyton asked smirking. When she saw Josh make a face, she pouted, "I guess not. Well, the snuggle-ness is because we're like brother and sister to each other."  
  
"What a coinky-dink! I've got a brother too!" Josh said with fake happiness.  
  
Peyton slammed on the brakes. The SUV skid across the concrete, leaving behind tire marks. Scott's head shot forward, hitting on the dashboard. Josh flew forward and landed in between the seats on his stomach. Only Peyton was in control. Josh had the wind knocked out of him. Scott yelped in pain, holding his forehead. Peyton just sat there, not caring as she breathed hard.  
  
"Ok. . . Care to. . . Explain. . . . Yourself?" Josh said between gasps. Peyton unmercifully grabbed him by the collar and brought him face to face with herself.  
  
"YOU HAVE A BROTHER?!" Peyton yelled in his face.  
  
"Yeah," Was all Josh could get out.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Peyton asked.  
  
"Is it relevant?" Josh replied.  
  
"Duh! You and your brother have close to the same scent!" Peyton said, despite the groans of pain coming from Scott, "The ghost could be coming after him instead of you by mistake!"  
  
"Smooth move, Josh," Scott groaned.  
  
Josh shot a look at Scott before turning back to Peyton, "How fast can you drive?"  
  
"I need to know where to drive first!" Peyton said, putting the SUV in gear and waiting for directions from Josh.  
  
So, Josh gave her directions. His brother's house was in Colorado. Putting the car in gear, Peyton floored the gas pedal. Josh flew backward, his head slamming into the soft padding of the seat behind him. In pain, Josh sat back up next to Peyton, looking at her angrily.  
  
"We don't want another gas incident, so you better watch that gas gage!" He yelled, then turned to Scott, who was still rubbing his sore forehead, "I suggest you make sure the airbag won't kill you when it pops out!" Scott quickly sat slightly to the side.  
  
Josh sat back in his chair and buckled his seatbelt, making sure it was tight. He looked out his window, thinking about how his brother always took care of him when growing up.   
  
Like, for instance, the time when Josh was at a party and got really wasted. His brother, Simon, had found him passed out of the couch of the hostess' couch. The day before, their parents had told Josh if he got in trouble one more time, he going to get grounded for a month. It would have been horrible; no t.v., no computer, no phone, no friends. Luckily, Simon was feeling very big brotherly that night. He woke up Josh, and helped him out to his car. Josh had puked on the interior in the backseat of Simon's car, but Simon took it pretty good in the situation at hand.  
  
Once at the house, their dad had stayed up waiting for them. Josh never knew how he did it, but somehow Simon stalled his dad long enough for Josh to tramp upstairs and pass out on his bed. The next day, Josh had the worst hangover in the history of hangovers. Simon had originally made plans to go out with a breakfast with his friends, but then his conscience kicked in. Canceling his plans, Simon stayed home and took care of Josh until Josh had recovered everything except his dignity.  
  
Josh smiled, thinking about what Simon had said about Josh's dignity that day. Dignity is nothing I can help with, but, if you need it, I'll give you some of the money you need to buy big screen t.v.'s for all your friends. When Josh had asked him why, Simon had replied, Because with all the embarrassing comments you made last night, you're going to need "I'm a huge pain in the ass, I'm begging for forgiveness" gifts.  
  
That's when Josh realized Peyton had found a radio station. A song from about two years back came on. Turning it up, Scott started singing along with it.  
  
"They still play this song?" Peyton looked questioningly at Scott. Seeing Scott start dancing, Peyton commented, "I thought you hated this song."  
  
"Well," Scott replied, still dancing, "It's Lily's favorite song, so it's kind of become my favorite too."  
  
"Lily from high school?" Peyton questioned, "You still talk to her?"  
  
She looked in her rearview mirror and saw Josh slam a pillow over his head, covering his ears. Then she heard him murmur, "If they start talking about the old days again, I swear, I'm going to puke!"  
  
"Of course I still talk to her, Peyton. She's my wife," Scott said, then quickly covered his mouth as if he just said something he didn't want to say.  
  
The SUV swerved and Peyton hit the brakes, not as hard as the last time. Scott pushed himself up against the backrest of the passenger's seat, trying not to fly forward. Josh, however, didn't have as much luck. His seatbelt had come unbuckled because he didn't clamp it hard enough. Rolling off the seat, he hit the floor of the SUV with a loud thump. Peyton pulled over on the side of the road.  
  
Once the car came to a stop, Josh sat straight up. He looked angrily at Peyton. "You know, for someone who loves this car so much, you don't take great care of it. . . OR IT'S PASSENGERS!" He yelled in her ear.  
  
Peyton was oblivious to Josh yelling in her ear. She looked at Scott, "What do you mean she's your wife? Wait, no, I know the answer to that," Her eyes focused intently on Scott, "When did this happen?"  
  
"Two years ago. A couple of months after graduation," Scott replied, looking down at his shoes.  
  
"What? WHY DIDN'T YOU INVITE ME?!" Peyton yelled at Scott, temper rising.  
  
"Well, you see. . . Lily thinks you a bit. . . Eccentric," Scott replied, folding and unfolding his hands in his lap.  
  
"Wait, let me get this straight. . . I wasn't invited to my only, no, best friend's wedding because his fiancé thought I was crazy! Oh, and I thought my life sucked already!"  
  
"I'm sorry-"  
  
"Get out," Peyton told his sternly, turning away from him and placing her hands on the steering wheel again.  
  
"What?" Scott asked, looking as if he had just been smacked in the face.  
  
"Get out!" Peyton replied, anger rising in her voice, "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CAR!!!"  
  
Scott scrambled out the passenger's door. Giddily, Josh climbed into the passenger's seat, happy to be in front again. He smiled smugly at Scott, glad to get rid of him. He glanced over at Peyton. Seeing her on the brink of tears, Josh's smile disappeared from his face.  
  
"Peyton, let's talk about this," Scott said, talking through the window, "You wouldn't leave your best friend-"  
  
Neither Peyton nor Josh caught the rest of his sentence because Peyton was speeding away at that point. Josh looked over at Peyton, concerned.  
  
"Best friend my ass," Peyton muttered under her breath as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, "Who needs best friends, anyway?" Her eyes were now full of tears, threatening to spill over.  
  
"Peyton, are you okay?" Josh asked, a concerned look locked on his face.  
  
"I'm fine!" Peyton snapped. Just then a tear silently trickled down her cheek. Josh wished he could wipe away the tear, but he knew that would only make matters worse. I guess super girl is only human, Josh thought sadly to himself. He sunk in his seat, preparing for the trip that was about to change his life in more ways than one. 


	7. Revelations and Meetings

Revelations and Meetings  
  
Peyton stared long and hard at the road in front of her. By now, she had stopped crying, yet her cheeks were still stained from her. Her shirt was wet from the tears that had dropped onto it from her chin. Knuckles white, she clutched the steering wheel hard in her anger. Looking out f the corner of her eyes, she found Josh glancing at her again for the 30th time since they had left Scott stranded.   
  
Peyton didn't understand why she was crying over Scott. Scott, of all people. He had just betrayed her, and she didn't give a damn about him anymore. So then, why were her cheeks stained from the tears she had cried over him? Finally, Peyton had come to a harsh conclusion. No matter whether he hurt her or not, she still loved him like a brother. He was he only friend growing up, and then just crushing her like that. . . As much as she'd hate to admit it, it hurt her dearly. More than she could understand.  
  
Feeling another breakdown coming on, Peyton pulled over on the side of the street. The car slowly rolled to a stop. Biting her lip, Peyton bowed her head, trying to make sure Josh couldn't see her cry again. She bit her lip harder, almost drawing blood, but it didn't stop the sob that escaped from her throat. Peyton closed her eyes, feeling the wet tears run down her face and drip onto her jeans. Opening her eyes, she watched eye tear that dripped onto her jeans, counting how many she was wasting on Scott.  
  
Suddenly, Peyton felt something brush slightly against her curly, blond locks of hair. Flinching, Peyton automatically knew it was Josh's hand. Every muscle in her body tensed, waiting for the vision she knew was coming. However, no pain came to her. Seeing none of Josh's past, her mind raced with questions. Why didn't I see his wife dying? Or anything?  
  
Peyton lifted her head, looking out on the road. Cars rushed by, animals came to life, the wind rustled some trees. Yet, to Peyton, it seemed like life had stopped. It was like she was living in the present, but from someone else's point of view. She felt a little wave a pity and compassion swell over her, along with something she couldn't identify.   
  
Questions racing in her mind, Peyton looked over at Josh. Catching her look over at him, Josh returned the gaze.   
  
"What's wrong?" Josh asked, seemingly concerned.  
  
Realizing how concerned Josh looked, Peyton looked back at the road, suddenly lost for words. Finally finding her voice, Peyton asked, "Are we getting closer to your brother's house?" She tried to hide the amazement in her voice, hoping Josh didn't catch it.  
  
If Josh caught the amazement, he didn't let it on, "Yeah, he lives kind of close to the my parents. We'll visit him first, check and see if he's doing okay, then we'll go see my parents. They can probably let use borrow a room."  
  
After following Josh's directions for about 30 miles, they had finally arrived at Simon's house. Josh got out first, then ran around to Peyton's door. Quickly opening the door before Peyton could, Josh helped her out. Giving him a thankful nod, they walked up to his front door.  
  
The house was a ranch-style house. One floor above the ground, one floor below the ground. Outside was red brick. The shutters were painted a peanut butter shade, the color of the roof, too. It had a porch, and a walkway leading up to the porch. The front door was wooden and painted a light blue. In the driveway a '79 gray Corsica.  
  
"Looks. . . Chummy," Peyton commented, ringing the doorbell. Josh shot her a look, smiling a little.  
  
Inside a dog's barking could be heard. A tall man opened the door, "Simon!" Josh exclaimed, grasping his brother's hand, happy to see him still alive.  
  
Simon was about 6'4''. Unlike his brother, Simon had sandy blond hair that was cut short. He had about the same face structure. Like this brother, Simon was well built. He looked about 27-years-old. He was wearing a regular blue tee and some well worn jeans.  
  
"Josh!" Simon said, obviously surprised, "I wasn't expecting company."  
  
"Well, I just popped by to check on you. You know, in the neighbor hood," Josh replied, stepping back.  
  
"You live 500 miles away, how could you be in the neighbor hood?"  
  
"That's a good question." Josh coughed nervously, looking at Peyton for help. However, she just stood there, one hand on her hip, the other hanging. She was too busy looking at the house. Not finding any help, Josh turned back to Simon. "It's a long story," Josh said finally, defeated.  
  
Done talking to Josh, Simon turned to Peyton. He eyed her wearily. Shooting Josh a look, Simon asked, "Who is she?"  
  
That seemed to snap Peyton out of her faze. She looked from Josh to Simon, "I'm sorry, what?"  
  
Simon glared at Josh. Josh knew why he was glaring at him. Simon had always liked his wife, Abby, and they always got along great. Now, seeing Josh with another girl, anger had swelled up in Simon. Especially since Peyton seemed out of it.  
  
Nervously, Josh reached to twirl his wedding band around his finger. However, his fingers only met skin, not gold. Josh's mouth fell open. Looking down, Josh saw his finger gone.  
  
Peyton watched Josh carefully. When she saw his disappointment in not having his wedding band, Peyton decided they would have to deal with that later. She cleared her throat and introduced herself.  
  
"I'm Peyton Murray. I'm a friend of Josh's," Peyton said kindly, smiling sweetly at Simon.  
  
"Well. . . Nice to meet you, Peyton. I'm Josh's brother, Simon." Simon outstretched his hand to shake with Peyton's. She froze, begging Josh with her eyes to help her.  
  
Seeing what was about to happen, Josh interrupted, "Oh, uh, Peyton's having cramps in her, uh, hands. It would hurt to shake your hand."  
  
"I'm really sorry," Peyton said apologetically, "You have an extremely lovely house."  
  
Simon seemed please, "Well, come in. We have some catching up to do," He walked into his house, beckoning to Peyton and Josh to come inside. Peyton stepped inside, and Josh quickly followed, taking a look outside to make sure no ghosts from hell were trying to kill them before closing the doors.  
  
Once inside, Peyton and Josh followed Simon to the living room. Claws scratching against hard wood floors could be heard and a large black lab came running into the living room.  
  
"Juby!" Josh said happily, leaning down and patting the dog on it's head. Peyton looked confused.  
  
"Juby? What's a Juby?"  
  
"Juby is the dog." Josh motioned towards the lab. The lab happily trotted over to Peyton and jumped up on her. She smiled and rubbed the spot between Juby's two floppy ears. Wait, how come she's not getting a flash of Juby's past? Josh asked himself, trying not to let his confusion show on his face.  
  
"That's a strange name."  
  
"It's the name of a cape in Africa, on the northwestern Sahara," Simon said, smiling.  
  
"Of course it is!"  
  
Simon beckoned to them to sit down on the couch. It was a comfortable-looking cream colored couch. Josh automatically went over and sat on it. Eyeing it wearily, Peyton walked over to it, brushing her hand across it. She found nothing bad about it. Smiling, Peyton plopped down and comfortably seated herself on it. Juby ran over and jumped onto Peyton's lap. She smiled, and pet the dog. Simon stared at her, as did Josh, however Peyton didn't catch it. Clearing his throat, Simon looked to Josh.  
  
"Uh, Josh, could I talk to you in private?" Simon asked, getting up.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Josh replied, getting up.  
  
Upon seeing them leave, Peyton snuggled down into the couch more, murmuring to herself about how much she loved the couch.  
  
They stopped in the kitchen. There was white tile on the floor and the walls were peach. In the middle of the room there was an island. There was also the essentials: a fridge, a microwave, a stove/oven, a toaster, and counters.  
  
Josh hopped onto the island, sitting cross-legged as he looked over every inch of the room, "Nice place you have here."  
  
"Cut the crap! Who the hell is she? And why is she so strange? Is she homeless, Josh?" Simon asked, leaning up against the counter, facing Josh.  
  
"No, she's not homeless. And she's not that strange, just a little different from you and me. Her name is Peyton Murray," Josh replied coolly, annunciating Peyton's name carefully.  
  
"What are you doing with her? And where's your ring?"  
  
Suddenly ashamed, Josh looked down at his hands. Neither hand had a ring on it. How come I didn't realize the ring wasn't on anymore? Where did I lose it?   
  
"Are you forgetting about Abby? Are you in love with Peyton or something?"  
  
The surprise from the questions showed on Josh's face. How dare Simon even think that he could forget about Abby? Abby was his wife. Josh loved her.  
  
Getting mad, Josh replied as coolly as he could, "I course I couldn't forget about Abby! I don't love Peyton, she's just a friend!"  
  
"Fine, whatever!" Simon said, walking out back into the living room. Josh followed, remembering that he was here to save Simon. Fists clenching, Josh suppressed his anger as much as he could.  
  
When Simon and Josh got into the living, they found Peyton asleep on the couch. Her arms were under her head and her legs were slightly bent. Juby was curled up next to her, asleep. Josh smiled to himself. I guess I should have offered to drive.  
  
Turning around, Simon faced Josh, "Here, you take care of her, then meet me in the kitchen and we'll talk.  
  
Josh nodded and Simon headed off again. He slowly approached the couch. Grabbing a blue throw from the side of the couch, he spread it out over Peyton and Juby. Josh looked around and spotted a pillow. He took it over to Peyton, then stopped, wondering. Maybe she can't feel when she's asleep, or maybe she can only see things in her dreams when she's asleep. Taking a chance, Josh slowly lifted up Peyton head and slipped the pillow under it, then gently put Peyton's head down again.  
  
Smiling, Josh brushed the hair out of Peyton's face and gently brushed her cheek. Josh checked to see if Simon was watching. Not seeing him, Josh bent down and gently kissed Peyton on the cheek.  
  
After talking for quite some time, Josh was convinced that this was the real Simon that he had come here to save. Hearing footsteps, both brothers turned towards the door. There stood Peyton, hair a little messed up. Behind her, Juby trotted into the kitchen. Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes and yawned.  
  
"I love that couch," She mumbled, walking over and hopping up onto the island. Josh and Simon both smiled.  
  
"Well, Peyton, if we want to make it to my parents and get a room there, we had better get going," Josh said, checking his watch. Both brothers jumped off the counter. Peyton looked from one to the other.  
  
"But. . . But I just woke up. And it wasn't easy getting up here."  
  
Both brother laughed and headed towards the door. Grumpily, Peyton hopped down and followed.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," Josh said at the doorway, turning towards Simon.  
  
"Ok, I'll wait for you," Simon replied smiling.  
  
Feeling she should say something nice, Peyton commented, "You have a very lovely couch, I mean, house." Josh and Simon laughed. Peyton and Josh walked out to the SUV. Juby started following them. After seeing Juby following them, Peyton stopped and pet the dog.  
  
"Sorry, buddy, but you have to stay here."  
  
"He can stay with you guys for the night, no harm will come from it," Simon said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks!" Peyton replied as she waited for Simon to get everything Juby needed.  
  
After getting everything to take care of Juby, Peyton started heading towards the drivers door before Josh stopped her, "I think I better drive." Frowning, Peyton obliged and got into the passengers seat. Juby jumped into Peyton's lap and settled down, his head resting on his paws.  
  
"How come he can do that?"  
  
Startled, Peyton looked over at Josh, "Excuse me?"  
  
"How come Juby is able to touch you and you're not getting a flashback of his past or anything?" Josh asked.  
  
"Well, dog's don't have such complex emotions as humans. They're loyal, cheerful, happy. . . Nothing too horrible. Ergo, I can have a dog or pet a dog or whatever."  
  
"That kind of makes sense," Josh replied, turning right.  
  
Soon enough, they were at Josh's parents house. It wasn't much different from Simon's house, except the shutters were painted a light blue along with the front door.  
  
Juby jumped out of the car and Peyton grabbed his stuff. Again, Peyton and Josh walked up side by side to the front door. Josh reached forward and rang the doorbell. They could hear it ring from inside the house, and on impulse Juby let out a low bark. The door opened and there stood a man and a woman.  
  
The man had dark hair and hazel eyes. A few wrinkles were on his face. The woman had blond hair, which was starting to turn a silver color at the roots, and blue eyes. She also had some wrinkles on her face.  
  
"Josh!" The woman stepped forward and hugged Josh, then stood back and took a look at him. "Simon called and told us you were coming." The man and Josh clasped hands, then Josh introduced Peyton.  
  
"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Peyton Murray," Josh said.  
  
"Hello, Peyton. I am Karen Mackey and this is my husband, James Mackey," The woman said kindly, motioning with her hands to the man next to her.  
  
"Very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Mackey." Peyton smiled sweetly.  
  
"I insist that you call us James and Karen. Using 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' sounds too old," James replied sternly with a wink. Peyton laughed and nodded.  
  
"Well, come on in. We have dinner ready."  
  
Josh, Peyton, and Juby followed them inside to a kitchen. The kitchen had a table in the middle and counters on two sides of the wall, meeting in a corner. It had the normal appliances that a kitchen has. The table was set with everything needed to eat.  
  
Josh and Peyton both took seats and Karen bustled around the kitchen, serving everyone. Juby laid down under the table at Peyton's feet. James took a seat at the head of the table. Eventually, they all started eating. Conversation came up when the silence started getting very loud.  
  
"So, Peyton. . . You're dating Josh?" Karen approached the subject.  
  
Upon hearing this, Peyton choked on the meat she was eating. Josh sputtered, accidentally spitting out the milk in his mouth. Peyton shot a look over at Josh, her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Josh put his hand up to his mouth, covering it. He got up and started cleaning up the milk, knowing Peyton was still glaring at him.  
  
Regaining her voice, Peyton growled, "Excuse me? Your son said told you WHAT?!"   
  
Josh looked at Peyton helplessly. Peyton's face had a slight red tint to it. She was shaking a little from the rage that was boiling up inside of her. Pushing down the anger, she looked at Karen and James apologetically with a fake smile plastered on her face.  
  
"May I please borrow dear Josh one moment?" Peyton asked kindly through clenched teeth.  
  
"Of course you can," James replied with a wink.  
  
Peyton turned back to Josh. The smile was now off her face. She got up and walked briskly out of the kitchen, grabbing Josh's wrist tightly and pulling him with her as she went. They got to the front door and Peyton pushed Josh out of the house, then followed him. She closed the door behind her. Josh turned around to tell her something, when he was cut off by a sharp smack in the face. Peyton had slapped him with all her strength, and was thoroughly pleased to see a red hand print from where she had hit him.  
  
"You lying, insensitive pain in the ass!" Peyton almost shouted, but instead, afraid that his parents might hear, lowered her voice to an urgent whisper.  
  
"I'm very sensitive to physical pain as you just demonstrated!" Josh replied angrily in a whisper, clutching the cheek Peyton had slapped, looking surprised.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking when you told them that!?"  
  
Josh was still holding the cheek that was hurt, but the surprise on his face was now gone. Finding his voice, Josh replied, "I never told them that!"  
  
"Then who did? Juby?"  
  
"I don't know who it was, but thank we should thank them!"  
  
Peyton lifted her hand as if to slap Josh again, but then thought better of it. "What do you mean, 'thank them?'"  
  
"Do you really think that my parents would let us stay at their house believing that we were just friends? Two people in their twenties traveling around together, but only friends?"  
  
Peyton's mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't find any words. She'd never thought of it that way. "Fine!" was all she managed. She made to go back into the house, but Josh stopped her by grabbing her wrist.  
  
"Wait, how come you're not getting any visions or whatever when we touch?"  
  
Once again, Peyton was lost for words. "I. . . I'm not sure. I guess I've gotten used to you or something." Josh smiled and Peyton replied, "Hey, don't get too comfortable, it might not last long. I have no idea."  
  
Peyton and Josh went back into the kitchen and sat back down. James and Karen shot them quizzical looks. The rest of the dinner was in an uncomfortable silence. As the dishes were being cleared away, Josh talked with his parents about what his and Peyton's plans were.  
  
"Well, you can stay here for tonight. You're welcome to do anything to make yourselves comfortable, we're going to bed. We made you two a place in the living room on the couch," Karen said, patting Josh's hand as she and James left them alone.  
  
"Movie?" Josh asked, walking into the living room as Peyton and Juby followed behind him. The living room was quite spacey. The couch was folded out into a bed and had sheets and pillowed on it. The t.v. was opposite the couch on a shelf. A lamp was in the corner of the room.  
  
"I'm going to go change in the car," Peyton said as she headed towards the front door.  
  
"Be careful!" Josh called to her as she walked out the door. In response Peyton waved a hand over her head.  
  
Deciding he should change too, Josh went into his old room where he kept some stuff that he had never really moved out. There was a twin bed, a dresser, and some things Josh still had in his room to show it was his. His eyes roamed across the walls of the room, reliving every memory as he made his way towards his dresser. He pulled open a drawer. Taking out some flannel pants and a shirt, Josh went into the bathroom and changed into them.  
  
After he was done, Josh went into the living room. He sat on the couch, looking over the room. Hearing footsteps, Josh turned and saw Peyton. She was wearing blue comfort pants, a white racer back that had blue strips on the side, and a blue comfort jacket that matched the color of the pants.  
  
"You wear that to bed?" Josh questioned, looking at her.  
  
"Yes," Peyton replied calmly.  
  
Peyton went over to the shelf the t.v. was on and looked at the movie choices. Picking out a DVD, she popped it into the DVD player. She laid down on the couch/bed on her stomach, facing the t.v. She grabbed a pillow and propped it underneath chin. Hearing a laugh behind her, Peyton turned around and looked at Josh, an eyebrow raised.  
  
"Something funny?" She asked, eyebrow raising even more.  
  
"You sure don't waste time getting comfortable," Josh replied calmly, laying down on his stomach next to her. Peyton eyed him warily. "What?" He asked.  
  
"Rules," Peyton replied simply, then continued, "No cuddling, no sweet talk, no hands-around-the-waist thing, no touching."  
  
"Over protective much? Besides, I would never think of it."  
  
"Good."  
  
They both turned back to the t.v. The movie was starting.  
  
"Pirates of the Caribbean?" Josh asked, looking at Peyton questioningly.  
  
"What's wrong with that?" Peyton replied, eyeing him, "Too scary for you?"  
  
"Not nearly scary enough! After this, we watch a movie that's my pick!"  
  
"Fine, but until then, no talking."  
  
"Another rule?" Peyton looked at Josh angrily and Josh turned back to the movie, not wanting to get smacked again.  
  
They continued watching the movie. At Johnny Depp's entrance in the movie, Peyton started clapping quietly. Josh shot her a quizzical look.  
  
"Why are you clapping?"  
  
"That is the best entrance I have ever seen! Don't you think?" Peyton replied, eyes intently set on the t.v. screen.  
  
"Oh please! I'm making some popcorn," Josh said, getting up and heading into the kitchen. Peyton shrugged and continued watching the movie. About two hours later the movie ended. Peyton was about to get up when Josh got up. He pulled the movie out of the DVD player and went through the selection. After 10 minutes, Peyton got impatient.  
  
"Pick a movie already!" Josh shot her a look, then popped another movie into the DVD player.   
  
"And this would be?"  
  
"I Still Know What You Did Last Summer," Josh replied coolly, taking a handful of popcorn and shoving into his mouth as he settled down to watch the movie.  
  
A couple of hours later, Peyton let out a small yelp into a pillow as a metal hook pulled a girl by the ankle under her bed. Josh smiled, watching her reaction with an amused look in his eyes as he munched on popcorn.  
  
"Wait, so, how did the guy not die? I mean, Freddie Prince Jr. shot him enough to kill him three times!"  
  
Josh swallowed the popcorn in his mouth and replied, "That's the beauty of a horror movie. . . Murderers don't die that easily."  
  
Peyton pouted, "Well. . . They should! It's just not right that they should be dead, but they're still living and they go around killing people!"  
  
Josh looked at her surprised as a thought crossed his mind.   
  
"What?" Peyton asked, eyeing him warily.  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing. It's nothing," Josh replied, turning off the t.v and closing his eyes while resting his head on the pillow.  
  
"Whatever," came the reply. Josh heard slight rustling as Peyton laid down next to him.  
  
"Good night, Josh," Peyton yawned.  
  
"Good night, Peyton," Josh replied, closing his eyes. 


	8. Gory Engravings Wrathful Writing

Gory Engravings. . .Wrathful Reading  
  
Peyton felt weight on her waist on something warm and furry against her stomach. Her eyes flittered open and she saw Juby curled up against her. Her head lifted a little off her pillow she looked down at her waist. Josh's arm was wrapped around her waist. Amazingly enough, it was warm and comforting. She smiled to herself a little. Very slowly, Peyton scooted up against Josh some more. Almost automatically, she rolled her eyes and smacked herself in the forehead, moving back to her original position.  
  
Gently, she lifted Josh's arm off her and put it next to himself. Josh moaned. Peyton quickly turned back onto her side, not wanting to get caught putting Josh's arm back. The mattress shifted slightly as Josh sat up and yawned.  
  
"Peyton, we've got to go now," Josh yawned, stretching.  
  
Pretending she just woke up, Peyton sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes. Very convincingly, she yawned and stretched.   
  
Juby lifted his head. He looked at Peyton with soft, brown eyes. She got out of bed and pat him on the head, smiling.  
  
"Hey buddy. We've got to take you back to Simon today."  
  
Josh started to go change when he stopped and looked at Peyton.  
  
"Do you want to shower or change or anything?"  
  
"I'll take a shower. Let me go get my clothes," Peyton replied, walking out the front door. A few minutes later she came back in, carrying a good sized bag full of things.  
  
"I thought you brought only the essentials with you." Josh eyed the bad as if it were about to explode.  
  
"These are the essentials," Peyton replied defensively, pulling the bag closer to her.  
  
"Fine." Josh rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, "Bathroom's down the hall on your right."  
  
"Thank you." Peyton walked down the hall and into the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
Josh went to his room and quickly changed into jeans and his second favorite shirt. It had the regular "York Peppermint Patties" logo on the front, but instead of saying "York" it said "Dork." Hearing the shower start to run, Josh went back out to the SUV. He thought Peyton would be out in about 10 minutes. Putting the keys in the ignition, Josh turned the keys just enough to turn on the radio, clock, and windows in the SUV, but not enough to turn the car on fully. Josh reached over and got the CD case out. After flipping through the selection, he finally decided on Good Charlotte.  
  
Half an hour later, Peyton waltzed out of the house carrying her stuff while Juby followed at her heels. She was wearing a long jean skirt that had a slit up to the knees in the back and a beige sweater with a furry beige hat. She looked in the SUV and saw Josh asleep in the passenger's seat. Smiling wickedly to herself, she walked silently as she could and got into the car on the driver's side. Slowly, Peyton lifted Juby up off the ground and put him gently in the backseat. Her smile was now a wicked grin as she leaned over to the passenger's seat.  
  
"JOSH!" Peyton yelled in his ear, getting the reaction she was hoping for.  
  
He jumped up, startled, and looked around. Even Juby looked a little upset. Realizing what had happened, Josh looked at Peyton, his eyes narrowed. In response, Peyton's grin only got wider as she turned the car on fully.  
  
"How could you do that to me?" Josh asked, apparently upset.  
  
"I think the real question here is, how could I not do that to you?"  
  
"I'll get you back! You can count on it!" Josh swore as he settled back down in his chair.  
  
"Besides, I need your help for directions to Simon's house. I forgot," Peyton replied as innocently as she could.  
  
Josh shot a glare at her, then proceeded to listen to Good Charlotte. "Hold On" was playing.  
  
But we all bleed  
  
The same way as you do  
  
And we all have  
  
The same things to go through  
  
Hold on  
  
If you feel like letting go  
  
Hold on  
  
It gets better than you know  
  
"Can I ask you something?" Josh asked Peyton, glancing over at her.  
  
"Sure," came the reply.  
  
"Well. . . You had an extraordinarily hard life, right?" Seeing Peyton nod, Josh continued, "Well, did you ever just want to quit? You know-"  
  
"Give up on life?" Peyton finished his sentence for him. Seeing Josh nod, Peyton smiled, "Of course."  
  
"Then why didn't you?"  
  
"That's a very complicated question with a very simple answer."  
  
After noticing Peyton wasn't continuing, Josh asked, "What's the answer?"  
  
"I knew how much hurt it would cause my family. I had seen it before when I touched people, and I knew how much it would hurt them. I could never do that to them. Simple as that."  
  
Makes sense, Josh thought. Then he asked Peyton another question, "What was your family like? I mean, you've met mine, but I have no idea what yours is like."  
  
"I had a mom. That's all I can remember. We had a special bond. That was probably because she was the only one who understood me and didn't think I was a freak. I never had any siblings and I never met my dad. But it didn't matter to me that much. I had at least felt wanted somewhere, and that was all that mattered to me. After graduating from high school, I had to leave my mom to go help people. We still keep in touch."  
  
Josh almost felt sorry for her. Then, seeing how she was content with just her mom, Josh smiled.  
  
Noticing what Peyton was wearing, Josh asked, "Isn't that a little dressy?" Peyton looked down at her clothes.  
  
"They're not that dressy. I can still move comfortably in them. Besides, I want to look good."  
  
Hearing this, Josh smirked, thinking to himself, If she only knew. The rest of the drive to Simon's house was in a comfortable silence.   
  
However, upon reaching Simon's house, both of them knew something was wrong. From the backseat, Juby started to get antsy. He paced on the backseat, occasionally letting out a low growl. Peyton looked back and saw Juby's fangs bared, an odd look for him. Josh stared at the house from the car in silence. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"Something's not right. Peyton, have you seen anything?"  
  
"I haven't had a vision since the one where I. . ."  
  
The sentence just hung in the air. Taking a deep breath, Josh opened his door and slowly got out. Peyton followed the motion and got out of the car. Juby barked from inside the car and Peyton rolled down a window so that he could breathe. Slowly, Josh walked up to the porch, Peyton following timidly. Once they reached the door, Josh grabbed the handle and turned it. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Josh pushed open the door.  
  
The first thing both of them noticed was the smell of blood. It was so strong it made Josh and Peyton sick instantly. The house was in ruins. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Broken ceramics and glass was scattered everywhere. Rugs were pushed to the side. One couch was over flipped onto it's side. A chair was broken in the middle of the room.  
  
Peyton and Josh slowly made their way into the living room as they looked over the disastrous house. As they entered the room, Peyton stifled a scream and looked away. Josh gasped, covering his mouth for fear that he would throw-up if he didn't hold it.  
  
Dried blood covered the wood floor, staining it. Bits of flesh and intestines could be found everywhere, along with ashes. The cushions on the couch had been ripped to shreds and some of the stuffing was stuck to the flesh and intestines. Splatters of blood were still evident on the walls.  
  
Josh looked into the kitchen, then turned away. He uttered a curse and walked away from the kitchen a little. Hanging above the island in the kitchen was Simon's head, bits of blood vessels hanging down from the neck. His faced was contorted in fright and pain as the head slowly rotated in a circle on the string it was connected to. Below Simon's head was his heart, blood staining the wood underneath it. In a circle around the heart was ashes. A memory flashed through Josh's mind and he realized that the ash must have been Simon's bones burned up. Josh remembered it from Donovan.  
  
Peyton buried her head into Josh's shoulder, not wanting to see anything more.  
  
"Let's get out of here. Please," Peyton whispered into Josh's shoulder, eyes closed as a silent tear leaked out of one of her eyes. She felt Josh moving towards the door, then stop. Slowly, Peyton lifted her head and looked at the door with bleary eyes. She gasped at the sight.  
  
The door had scratch marks left in it. They looked like they were done by fingernails. Hanging the handle of the doorknob was Simon's hand. The one Peyton hadn't taken when he offered it to her. It was obviously frozen solid to the handle. There was writing on the wall, obviously left by the ghost. It was written in Simon's blood. Choking back the lump in her throat, Peyton read it.  
  
Lust lives,  
  
Love dies,  
  
Truth isn't found  
  
All is lies  
  
Hope is lost  
  
Despair will churn  
  
Life gives up  
  
People burn.  
  
Going mad with hate, Josh slammed his fist against the door. Hearing a whimper from Peyton, he calmed down considerably. Painstakingly and slowly, Josh lifted his hands towards the door and traced the scratch marks with his fingertips. Hate welled up inside Josh again. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like. . .  
  
Shaking his head, Josh erased all thoughts from his mind that didn't have to do with Peyton and him getting out of the house. He just couldn't bring himself to take Simon's hand off the handle. Turning back around, Josh took Peyton's hand and led her towards the back door. The back door was a wooden door with intricate carving on it. It looked so out of place with what Josh and Peyton had just discovered. Josh kicked the door with all his might. The door swung open and hit against the brick outside.  
  
Once again, Josh grabbed Peyton's hand. He led her outside and around to a tall six-foot wooden gate. Unfortunately, the gate had been rusted shut from not been used and was impossible to open. Quickly as he could, Josh climbed up the side of the gate. From there he jumped off and landed with a soft thump. Peyton followed him and scrambled up the side of the gate expertly. She was about to jump down from there but stopped when Josh outstretched his arms to her. A little uneasily, Peyton slide into the awaiting arms. She flinched slightly at the contact, but let Josh put her on the ground gently.  
  
From there they walked briskly to the car, where Juby was barking loudly. Josh got to the drivers seat first and Peyton settled for passenger. Once inside they both just sat there, staring and doing nothing. Juby had quieted down, but did not stop pacing on the seat. Wordlessly, Josh started the car and pulled away from the sidewalk by Simon's house.  
  
"What happens now?" Peyton asked breathlessly.  
  
The loud had silence had been broken. Neither of them knew what to do now. They couldn't call the police. How would they explain what had happened to them? They couldn't keep Juby, but how could they explain what had happened to Josh's parents? A new silence began, louder than the first. The only sounds were the soft rustling of Juby pacing in the back, the sound of tires on concrete, and the soft sniffling of Josh and Peyton. Again, the silence was broken, but this time by Josh.  
  
"We'll drop Juby off at my parents. Just slip him in and leave. They'll wonder what happened to Simon and then they'll call the police and leave the matters to them. In the meantime, we're going after that damn ghost!" Josh claimed, determined.  
  
Soon, they pulled up next to Josh's parents house. Josh got out of the car with Juby and Peyton waited patiently in the car. He walked as steady as he could up to the door. Slowly, Josh opened the door and motioned for Juby to go in. Juby did as he was told and went inside. Josh shut the door and walked briskly back to the car. Once Josh got in the car, he turned the key in the ignition and sped away as quick as he could without being heard.  
  
The inside of the car once again drifted into silence. Nothing was heard except for the wind as the car traveled over the concrete. Sick of silence, Peyton reached forward and turned on the stereo. Good Charlotte started playing again. This time it was "Bloody Valentine". Thinking that was not the best music for the situation, Peyton changed the song. This time it was "Movin' On". Frustrated and fed up, Peyton just turned off the stereo and pitched the SUV once again into an unforgiving silence.  
  
"So, where to now? I mean, if we go after the ghost, we're going to have to know where to go first," Peyton said, glancing over at Josh.  
  
"There's library with computers and a connection to the internet. We'll go there," Josh replied, taking a left onto a busy street. Peyton nodded and leaned back into her seat.  
  
A couple of minutes passed and Peyton noticed the SUV pulling into a parking lot. Once the car stopped, Peyton and Josh got out and walked into the library. Peyton looked in awe at all the library had. The computers were new and up-to-date. There was a small café in the back. The café had some tables set up with chairs. Not to mention it had rows and rows and shelves of books.  
  
"I'll go get us some coffee and you look up information on this ghost," Josh told Peyton, then moved towards the café. Peyton managed a small nod and walked slowly to the computers. Peyton turned on the computer and started her search. She started with looking through old newspaper articles on deaths from car crashes. After she had looked through a few articles, she came across an article that intrigued her. It read:  
  
Boy Killed in Tragic Racing Accident  
  
Peyton quickly clicked on the link to see the article. It read:  
  
On Wednesday, a boy named Sloan Jackson was killed in a tragic racing accident. Sloan had been the champion of the racing for some time. He had been racing when his car lit on fire, with him still trapped inside. The fire had mixed with the gasoline and caused an explosion. Sloan was killed instantly.  
  
"I don't know how this could have happened," Sloan's beloved girlfriend, Sally Hugh explains, "It was just another race. The races meant so much to Sloan. Someone must have done something to his car. . ."  
  
Peyton continued reading. Josh came over with two lattes.  
  
"What have we got?" Josh asked, handing Peyton her latte.  
  
"Sloan Jackson. He died in a car accident. The car lit on fire and exploded," Peyton told Josh, feeling sorry for the ghost.  
  
"Sounds about right," Josh replied coldly and unmercifully. Peyton glanced at him, then returned her gaze to the computer before her. She scrolled up and looked to see the picture. Drawing in a quick breath, Peyton looked harder at the picture.  
  
"What?" Josh asked, looking at her.  
  
"That's him! That's the guy! That's the ghost!" Peyton whispered urgently.  
  
"Ok, well, I think it's time to go ahead and research what we can do about it." Josh went to the computer next to her and turned it on.  
  
After an hour of researching, Peyton came across something. She tapped Josh urgently on the arm.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I believe Sloan has been linked with a series of killings!" This caught Josh's attention. He leaned closer to Peyton.  
  
"What?"  
  
Peyton proceeded to explain, "Well, every year, a car crash happens in the exact place Sloan died on the exact date! That's just not coincidence. Plus, every single person that has gotten into one of these crashes, has died! How bizarre is that?"  
  
"Well, we need to know where this place is."  
  
"I do know! We'll go there. Anyway, it seems that every year on this day Josh releases his vengeance, then goes back to hell."  
  
"So," Josh thought aloud, "when Donovan summoned Sloan, it was just making the time come quicker. Does that mean that Sloan is going to be sent back on this day?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"So, when is this?" Josh asked, taking a sip of his latte.  
  
"It's coming up. All we have to do, is get to where Sloan is going to release his vengeance and stop him, then send him back to hell."  
  
"That's all?" Josh replied sarcastically.  
  
Peyton shot him a look and took a sip of her latte, "At least we know more than we did before."  
  
Josh nodded in agreement. "Well, shall we go beat this ghost from hell?" Josh asked, offering his arm to Peyton and getting up.  
  
Peyton nodded and smiled charmingly, "Of course!" She took his arm and they walked out together, sipping their lattes.  
  
Peyton walked to the drivers door and got in while Josh got in on the other side. She started the car and it purred loudly. Josh smiled at her. Realizing something, Peyton slammed her hands against the steering wheel.  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
Josh eyed her wearily, "What now?"  
  
"We're not going to make this trip in on day. Where are we going to spend the night and with what money?"  
  
"Good point. . ."  
  
"You know what? I'll just empty my bank account. I'm not going to be around to spend it anyway!" Peyton fumed angrily, then stopped, realizing what she said.   
  
"Peyton," Josh started, "You're going to be around. I'm not giving up on you that easily."  
  
Peyton smiled, then said, "It doesn't matter anyway. I'll still empty my bank account. It's not that important to me."  
  
Josh gave her directions and soon they were at the bank. Peyton made her way to one of the credit machines. Josh stood at the door, leaning against it and patiently waiting. Soon, Peyton came back out.  
  
"How much was in your bank account?" Josh asked, flabbergasted, as he looked at the bills in Peyton's hands.  
  
"Around $350," Peyton replied coolly as she walked to the car. Josh's mouth fell wide open.  
  
"You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding and I'll sleep easier!"  
  
"Ok, I'm kidding, but that doesn't mean it's the truth."  
  
"What hotel are you thinking of staying at that you need $350!?" Josh asked, sliding slowly into the passenger's seat.  
  
"Well, I'm sick of always living the low life. I want to live it up while I still can." Seeing Josh's blank look, Peyton continued, "Hey, I want to spend tonight in a fancy hotel! That's not that big of a deal!"  
  
"Ok, whatever, but you're going to be pissed when you're still alive and you have no money left!" Josh told her, turning back and looking forward.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before!" 


End file.
